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Behavioral Health Endowment

Securing Sustainable Access to Psychiatric Care

The Reality

  • Psychiatric care consistently operates at a financial loss, even as community demand continues to grow.

  • Insurance reimbursement covers only a portion of the true cost of providing behavioral health services.

  • Early psychiatric intervention is the most effective way to prevent crises and reduce long-term strain on patients, families, and the health system.

The Solution

A $10 million endowment generates approximately $400,000 annually—creating a permanent, reliable source of support that keeps psychiatric care accessible, regardless of changes in reimbursement, workforce shortages, or economic conditions.

What Your Investment Sustains Annually

  • 1,800 – 2,520 adult psychology visits

  • 400 – 500 child and adolescent psychiatry visits

  • Care for uninsured and underinsured patients who require psychiatric care

  • Faster access to care, reducing crisis situations for children, teens, and adults

  • Recruitment and retention of specialized psychiatric providers

  • Integrated, whole-person behavioral health care across St. John’s Health

Recruitment

Since 2018, community health assessments have consistently identified mental health—particularly child and adolescent psychiatry—as a critical need in Teton County. In response, St. John’s Health recruited Dr. Nils Westfall to address this gap, significantly improving access to specialized care for young people and their families. Ongoing public health assessments continue to highlight the need for expanded preventive and diagnostic mental health services, prompting St. John’s Health to prioritize behavioral health in its 2024 Strategic Plan and expand outpatient therapy and psychiatry services through a collaborative care model.

In 2024, St. John’s Health Foundation secured a $245,240 grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole to support the recruitment and hiring of adult psychiatrist Dr. Leah Fortson. An additional $80,000 grant was awarded in 2025, bringing total grant support to $325,240. These funds underwrite the salary and benefits for St. John’s Health’s first dedicated full-time adult psychiatrist over a three-year period, addressing a longstanding gap in adult behavioral health care.

Founding Supporters

Alison and Lewis Lee, through their family foundation, The Childress Foundation, generously provided the seed funding to establish the Behavioral Health Endowment at St. John’s Health Foundation. This early investment helps offset the cost of psychiatry and counseling services in our community and laid the groundwork for long-term sustainability. Their leadership inspired additional major gifts from Connie Kemmerer and the Kemmerer Foundation, Noa and Ted Staryk, and Stuart Sugarman and O’Ann Fredstrom—further strengthening the endowment and reflecting a shared commitment to expanding access to behavioral health care. The Foundation’s goal is to grow the endowment to $10 million, covering forecasted losses and ensuring these essential services remain available well into the future.

Need more information about endowment funds at St. John's Health Foundation? Click here to learn more.

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